User:Maryhillard/Undocumented People subsection of Social Impacts Article

Hi Alb355 and Maryhillard I've created a "placeholder" article for your group to avoid overlap with Meghan and Sayani, who are using the same "target article" as you are just a different subsection. Here's the direct link to your target article to have it here -- Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States [--Prof.D. Liliput000]

I don't see anything here yet so I'm adding a link to your googledoc for peer review! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wRG_DGy05xJDH5rNXWoUKUBv4IfSj1z4yfRR-D_zBtc/edit [--Prof.D. Liliput000]

Draft of Experience of Undocumented People during COVID-19

Undocumented Immigrants

Undocumented immigrants consist of individuals who came to the United States from other countries while violating the immigration laws and standards.

Access to Health Services and Insurance

Because of their unique status, undocumented immigrants face lower access to heath services than US citizens and document immigrants. In the US, non-citizens are more likely than citizens to be uninsured. According to Kaiser Family Foundation, roughly 46% non-elderly undocumented immigrants were uninsured in 2019. Illinois Is First in the Nation to Extend Health Coverage to Undocumented Seniors.

Immigrants have limited access to health services as they are denied benefits under the Affordable Care Act and are largely excluded from coronavirus relief policies. Under the Trump Administration “Zero Tolerance Policy”, new punitive measures for immigrants compounded the consequences of inaccessible care.  

The public charge rule is a provision of the Immigration Act of 1882 that justifies the denial of visas to migrants who are likely to become a fiscal burden, or a Public Charge. Disabilities and lack of financial resources make it more difficult for immigrants to enter the U.S., and changes to the Public Charge Rule under the Trump administration increased restrictions.

The Trump Public Charge Rule went into effect on February 24, 2020. Under the new rule, use of certain health programs or services would count as a negative mark on a visa application. As a result, documented and undocumented immigrants alike were discouraged from using the few resources available to them. Using public services like Medicaid could jeopardize their immigration status, and this rule added an additional source of stress and uncertainty during the pandemic.

In February 2022, the Department of Homeland Security announced changes to the Public Charge Rule that will not consider non-cash benefits when determining inadmissible status for entry or permanent residence.

Furthermore, the undocumented status results in individuals having a harder time securing medical reimbursement from non-insurance sources like charitable organizations. Even when there are resources available, many people of undocumented status express hesitancy in utilizing care resources for fear of exposing their status. A US Immigration Policy Center Study indicates vaccine willingness in undocumented immigrant communities decreased after the Trump administration instituted many immigration regulation changes.

Medical Deportation

Medical Deportation is a risk many illegal immigrants face, and often prevents them from utilizing the health sources offered to them. Medical deportation involves the non consensual movement of a patient who is critically ill or injured to another country. (source) Hospitals are only required to treat all people equally regardless of legal or pay status until they reach a stable condition. Although transportation of patients to another country can be in the tens of thousands, continuous care for a patient can be even more expensive, and so there exists a financial incentive for hospitals to remove certain patients from their direct care. Furthermore, a hospital's requirement to report immigration status is nuanced. In general, hospitals are considered sensitive locations where immigration enforcement actions are to be limited. Protected Health Information includes citizenship and immigration status and therefore is protected by HIPAA.

Immigration Detention

The pandemic has had a significant impact on immigration enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border. During the pandemic and under the Trump Administration, the CDC invoked Title 42, an immigration policy allowing federal authorities to deny migrants’ asylum in the event of an imminent threat to public health.

The Trump Administration argued that invoking Title 42 would prevent the spread of COVID-19 in immigration facilities, many activists argue that the primary goal of the policy is to restrict immigration. Since its enactment in April 2020, Title 42 has justified the expulsion of roughly $1.8 million migrants.

The CDC has announced its intention to phase out Title 42 by the end of May and claims that the policy is no longer necessary to protect public health. Phasing out the controversial policy will return immigration policy to Title 8, which allows refugees to seek asylum status if they can prove flight from persecution.

The impending end of Title 42 is met with mixed emotion along partisan lines. Many democrats laud the end of a policy that led to the expulsion of 80% of migrant encounters during the Trump Administration, but Missouri, Arizona, and Louisiana have sued the Administration over its announcement.